Harry Potter wins top Broadway theatre award on a good night for Brits

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child picks up the story of the boy wizard, as an adult.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has won six Tony Awards on Broadway, including Best Play. John Tiffany, who was honoured for his direction, said it was “beyond exciting” to be recognised.

Returning to Broadway for the first time in three decades – after more than twenty years as the Labour MP for Hampstead – 82 year old Glenda Jackson was named the Best Actress for her role in Three Tall Women. Comparing her two careers, she said theatre and politics “are both trying to tell us the truth about ourselves and how we can create a working society for everybody.”

Andrew Garfield was named Best Actor for his role in Angels of America, about HIV in the Ronald Reagan era. The play also won Best Revival. It’s producer Rufus Norris – who’s the artistic director of the National Theatre – said the prevalence of British winners and nominees were “incredible demonstration of how our creative industries are world leading.”

Another British talent to be honoured was the musical impresario Lord Lloyd-Webber, whose musicals Evita, Cats, Sunset Boulevard and Phantom of the Opera all won Tonys in the 1980s and 90s. He was given a lifetime achievement award.

And here is a list of the main winners from America’s most prestigious theatre awards:

Best play:
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two”

Best musical:
“The Band’s Visit”

Best revival of a play:
“Angels in America”

Best revival of a musical:
“Once On This Island”

Best actor in a play:
Andrew Garfield, “Angels in America”

Best actress in a play:
Glenda Jackson, “Three Tall Women”

Best actor in a musical:
Tony Shalhoub, “The Band’s Visit”

Best actress in a musical:
Katrina Lenk, “The Band’s Visit”

Best direction of a play:
John Tiffany, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One
and Two”